Car coupling



May 1, 1923. 1,453,404

v. PICKLO CAR COUPLING Filed Feb. 16 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 13.

- V. PICKLO May 1, 1923.

CAR COUPLING Filed Feb 16, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 production of an improved means for the Patented May 1, 1923.

, UNIEW VALENTINE PICKLO, OFLJOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR ONE-HALF'TO.

' :JGREGOB, WALAT, OFJOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA. 7 1,

can COUPLING.

Application filed February 16, 1922. Serial No. 586,997.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that LjV-immme PICKLO, a citizen of the UnitedS'tates of America, residing at Johnstown, in the county of Ga'mbria and 'State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvemcnts in Car Couplings, of which the following is a specification} This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements 'inrail way draft appliances, and has particular reference to the cou lin of railwa cars.

eration.

The primary object of the invention isto provide a car coupling device for railways wherein the construction is extremely simple and durable as well as efficient in opjAnother object of the invention is to generallysimpli-fy an improved device of this character and "t0 "provide means for 'cushioning'the movement of'th'ecoupler of one car with respect to the adjacent coupler of the other car so that shocks and jars will be taken care of, both in coupled and uncoupled positions.

l/Vith the above general objects in view the invention consists of the novel comb-ination and arrangementof parts hereinafter more fully described in connection with accompanying drawing, and in which like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings Figure 1 i s'a fragmentary view partly in top plan and partly in horizontal section of the adjacent ends of railway cars equipped with couplers in accordance with the present invention and with the couplers operatively engaged with each other;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 of one of the couplers in released position;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary end elevational view of a car equipped with a coupler constructed in accordance with the present inv vention and shown in locked position, and

Figure 4: is a side elevational view of the device shown in Figure 3.

Referring more in detail to the several views, in Figure 1 two adjacent cars A and B are shown with draw bars 5 having coupling heads 6 constructed in accordance with the present invention and adapted for cooperating so as to communicate movement of one bar to the other.

' The heads are of similar construction'and have the same formof mechanismso that the description of one will suflice. As shown, each head 6 is of forked construc-' .tion with one leg '7 longer than the other leg 8 and having a jaw member 9 of ang11 lar form pivoted thereto] for" horizontal swlnging movement upon a vertical axis 10 located atthe outer end of the arm or leg 7. The central ortion ofthe .end'of the head 6 is recesse to provide a pocket as at 11 into and out of, which the inwardly extending arm of the member -9 is movable,

so that when the arm is positioned within said pocket 11 the other armof the jawi's l as well as adapted for removable reception of a key or pin 13 which, when positioned 1n the passage 12 will engage the inner end of the inwardly extending arm of the jaw v and hold the latter in coupling position.

The smaller or shorter leg 8 ofthe coupling head is provided with a socket 14 in which is positioned a spring pressed plunger 15 having suitable means for limiting its outward movement and adapted toengage the adj acent portion of the laterally extending jaw of the other car coupling head so as to cushion the movement of said jaw toward said leg 8. It will thus be seen that the laterally extendin legs or arm of the jawsof adjacent coupling heads will be provided with a spring pressed plunger for cushioning purposes. Each coup-ling head has another spring pressed plunger 16 which is slidably mounted in a suitable socket provided at an oblique angle in'the inner end of the inwardly extending arm of the jaw 9 so as to cushion the movement of the coup ling heads toward each other when the jaws 9 are in released position as shown in Figure 2, the free ends of the laterally extending arms of the jaws being then positioned to engage the plunger 16 of the other coupling head.

The jaw 9 is attached to a downwardly projecting strap iron 17 at a point outwardly of the pivot 10, and this arm is of angular mounted in suitable guides 22.

, dle members 23 upon their outer ends for convenience in swinging the jaws 9 to open or closed position.

In operation, with the parts disclosed as in Figure 1, the pins 13 of the adjacent coupling heads are removed, and the angular lever 19 is forced inwardly toward the draw bar 5 of each coupling head so as to swing the jaws 9 to inoperative or open position as shown in Figure 2. The cars are then brought closer together so that the laterally extending arm of one jaw will lie inwardly of the similar arm of the other jaw, whereupon the levers 21 are pulled outwardly so as to swing the jaws to locked or closed position as shown in Figure 1 whereby the laterally extending arms of said jaws are engaged behindveach other. The plungers l6 and 17, during the operation, will effectively cushion the members for relieving considerable of the shock usually experienced, and the pins 13 are then inserted downwardly through the passages 12 so that the jaws are efi'ectively locked in closed or engaged position. It will be obviously apparent that the levers 21, 20, 19 cannot be operated to release the jaws until after the pins 13 are removed.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction and operation as well as the advantages of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed W hat I claim as new is The combination with a coupling head involving an angular pivoted aw and a pair of legs, one longer than the other and to which said jaw is pivoted, the outer end of the shorter leg having a socket therein, the in wardly extending arm of said jaw having a socket therein, a cushion spring mounted in each socket, a plunger confined within the outer end of each socket and engaged by the spring, the plunger in said inwardly extending arm of the jaw being positioned at an angle to the plunger in said shorter leg whereby the first mentioned plunger is substantially parallel with the other plunger when the angular pivoted jaw is in its open inoperative position for purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

VALENTINE PICKLO. 

